Would you re-sign Pau for ~7 million per?

I really just think that playing at the 4 against a league that is playing SF at the 4 now is tough for him. there are only a few teams that's really play PF's at the 4. It's hard for him to keep up with them and now with his knee thing it's even harder. He's not an aggressive minded player but he's gunna have to take advantage of his size against smaller quicker players...if they kill him on D with their quickness then he's gunna have to be aggressive and kill them on D with his post moves and size.

It's just a matter of tweaking the system a but it the lineups to get him in the post. A Hill/Pau front court would help him and Hill can get up and down the court fast than Pau so that would help Pau too. Jamison/Pau too would be good for Pau. Pau/Dwight lineup is really just for Dwight's benefit as Pau spaces the floor so it's only fair that Pau gets lineups that benefit him in the post.

Our team has to utilize all our players and Pau is an amazing player so running lineups that use him in the post more would make us harder to beat and would give Dwight rest and Hill more minutes

dantoni has to be pretty annoyed by the fact that half the league copied his style and are using against him to good effect now that he's finally got a team with a legit presence in the pivot (two, actually!). ah, irony.

and the knees are really only a minor issue, imo. the lakers haven't ever played well with pau as a full-time pf. this isn't new. he's shooting a bit worse than in the past, but otherwise, we've seen this. he and bynum never really got on the same page, and i don't expect dwight and pau to be a much better pairing offensively (on defense, it's less problematic than pau/bynum was).

i hope i'm wrong and that there's a magic solution that simply hadn't manifested itself through the two previous coaches and seasons. not holding my breath on it, though. plus, it's still the right kind of problem to have: too much talent in the low post. i'll take that over the problems of 90% of the rest of the league. and i'll take this semi-effective pau over half the starting pfs in the nba.

Forget Ryan Anderson, he's too 1 dimensional. Right now, the Lakers are relying on Pau Gasol to play the 4 and backup 5. This means that he's the last starter to sit. This worked fine when he was younger, but it's clear that he no longer has the energy or health to do that and produce consistently. If the Lakers are going to have a guy play with the starters and lead the bench, it needs to be someone young and athletic and who can also play multiple positions.

I think the Lakers should consider looking at this Chandler Parsons guy. He can play the 3/4 in this offense and possibly the 1/2 as well. It's only his 2nd year but he looks like a legit player. He's a smart defender who knows how to play the passing lanes but he can do a good job of staying in front of guys and bother their shots with his length. He's long and quick enough to guard guys like Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant.

He might get overpowered in the post by bigger 4's but I think he's a smart defender with enough length to bother most guys. He weighs 230 and that's how much guys like Jamison and Lakers Odom weigh(ed). Steve freakin' Novak played 4 for the Knicks last year and he's not nearly as versatile as Parsons.

Parsons is shooting the 3 at 42% but he has the potential to be more than a simple floor spacer/perimeter defender. He's putting up 15.7/7/3.5/1. It looks like he can create off the dribble for himself and for others as well. He's like a Luol Deng/Lamar Odom hybrid.

The Lakers would lose Pau Gasol's passing but he really doesn't do much these days but try to force it over the top or to the side at a weird angle that often gets Dwight in an awkward position or Dwight's man steals it. Chandler Parsons isn't exactly a bad passer either. His passing would be utilized way better because he's competent enough to break down a defense off the dribble.

Who else could they try to get in the trade?

Patrick Patterson - undersized powerforward but he could play backup 5. I think he's too good to be playing 12 minutes behind Dwight Howard

Toney Douglas - Backup PG that might be better than what the Lakers currently have. He has experience with Dantoni.

The rest of their roster is a bunch of rookie 4/5's .

Pau Gasol might possibly maybe be a better player than Chandler Parsons at this point, but I think Parsons would be a better fit. It's only his 2nd year so he'll continue to get better and he can play 38 minutes a night without burning out. I love Pau Gasol for helping the Lakers win back to back titles but his legs are shot and his days of playing consistently look like they're behind him. I know it's only 14 games into the season and Parsons is relatively unknown at this point but it's also unknown if they'll ever figure it out with Pau after 2-3 years of disappointment.

Nash/Kobe Bryant/Parsons/Artest/Howard This would probably be the Lakers' most versatile lineup. Lockdown perimeter D with Dwight Howard locking the paint down. Kobe Bryant and Artest are still mobile enough to run the break when it's beneficial. Parsons can bomb 3s or finish at the rim as well.

Nash/Kobe Bryant/Parsons/Jamison/Howard This lineup is somewhat more traditional. Jamison can still run even though he's old and he'll benefit off of cuts and open jumpers all day.

Nash/Meeks/Kobe Bryant/Parsons/Howard Run and bomb 3's all day without losing much perimeter defense

Blake/Meeks/Parsons/Jamison/Hill I'd trust Parsons trying to create for others over Blake. He can play point forward with the bench.

^ We'd need much more than that. Through all of the Houston talks, I don't remember anything stating once that we were interested in Parsons. We need to somehow convince them to part with Lin & Patterson. If we can swing Parsons too, that's great. I'd love to get Delfino as a 2nd choice. We'd need to send 2 more players to make it work, I think D'antoni can sell Blake as a starting PG when he gets healthy. Send them Blake & Ebanks.If they're more interested in Morris I'd let them have him, small price to pay.

Nash - Kobe - Ron - Jamison - D12

Lin might eat up all of the backup G minutes. Could always find Meeks minutes playing Kobe at the 3 or resting the starters more. Easy to argue that Pat Pat might deserve the starting spot, but we give it to Jamison out of seniority.. If Pat steps up we give him a shot as the starter. He can also hit outside shots, possibly better than Jamison. Delfino would be the best backup SF we've had for a long time. Can knock down 3's & fits well in run & gun systems. He'd be great with Nash & Lin. Wouldn't doubt if he got looks with the starters. Hill would be restricted to backup C minutes, but might see more as Lin could have our 2nd unit blowing teams out.

I don't really see Lin for Pau as pipe. I know guys are down on his value, but an overpaid hype machine for an allstar playing out of position. They get the best player in the deal by far, & he gets to dominate the post on that team with Asik not really having a post game. Harden & Pau is a very solid 1-2 punch.

"The first time I ever saw my uniform hanging in the locker I put it on right away, and it just felt like I was putting on golden armour. From that day forward, I just called it 'the golden armour', it just felt like there was something mystical and magical about it" - Kobe Bryant.

Move Gasol to the bench ala Odom with stater minutes and Jamison in the lineup, if we are going to move him I would like a SF instead of a 4. IMO Artest can cover the 4 he has ability to work as a stretch four and plays well in the post. (can even start Jamison and let artest green light the 2nd unit. Get a Rudy Gay, Luol Deng, Granger, Iggy someone athletic with solid 3 point stroke and UNDER 30!

Honestly, I think the only untouchables on the Rockets are Asik, Lin, and Harden. I think they're pretty high on Parsons and Patterson. I don't know what it would take to get Parsons but I'd try to find a way to do it. Find a third team with cap space to take on some contracts or something. This guy has the potential to be deadly in D'Antoni's offense. His offensive skillset is great for a second year player. He can shoot, pass, drive, finish, play on the ball, off the ball, in the halfcourt and in trasition.

Why would Houston do it? They wanted Pau Gasol to form a twin towers with Dalembert. They can still do it. Lin-Harden-Pau-Asik is a good core.

I posted on the "line up change" thread, I think we should rotate him like OKC does with Sefolosha. Only difference is that he would play in the clutch (if he's not sucking balls), because he's a good decision maker and he can hit FTs. So basically, he starts, but sits early, and Jamison (and Hill) take way more of his minutes (I'd play him around 32 a game). If he's doing well he should finish games.

"The first time I ever saw my uniform hanging in the locker I put it on right away, and it just felt like I was putting on golden armour. From that day forward, I just called it 'the golden armour', it just felt like there was something mystical and magical about it" - Kobe Bryant.